Happy 2nd birthday to my Lucy, a.k.a. Little Bear. Thank you for making me laugh everyday and giving me so much joy in my life. I love you more than you love your Kermit shirt.
xoxo
-Mom
and there was a party…
March 3, 2010 by 2 Comments
My baby girl turned one yesterday.
And she’s growing a curly mullet.
But that’s beside the point. The point is that we had a party, and a delicious one at that.
Since I had just feted husband a few weeks ago, I was party-pooped. So my dear Ma, being the gracious lady that she is, offered to host and put together a gorgeous table.
Oven roasted wings with a blue cheese remoulade, herbed parmesan cheese straws…
…a fruit tray that only my mother could make look pretty (if I had made it, it would more closely resemble something that the Chiquita banana lady would wear)…
…and a cheese platter with a fig spread that I could have eaten gallons of.
My contribution?
My favorite shredded cuban pork…
…served with lime, cilantro, sour cream, and…
…tiny, tiny tortillas. I cut them out of their parent tortillas using a doughnut cutter. They made the cutest dang mini-tacos I’ve ever seen.
But what about the little lady of the hour? What did she eat?
Celery. Lots and lots of celery.
She also tried a slice of Ma’s carrot cake…
…and then got pissed that we tried to make her wear a paper hat.
…and then really pissed that we tried to make her wear a purple hat. Do I look a little too delighted in the torture of my firstborn?
Yeah, probably. But for 40 hours of labor, she can afford me a little laugh.
She melted Grandma’s heart wearing the same sailor dress that I wore on my first birthday.
And I, once again, laughed.
It was a lovely party and a lovely day. Probably more fun for us than for Lucy.
That dynamic will change when she wants to go to Chuck-E-Cheese for her 6th birthday and we’re forced to chaperone. Then it will be her turn to laugh at me look like an idiot playing DDR.
Thank you to my wonderful daughter for keeping me laughing, even when it’s at her, and my lovely Ma for throwing such a fabulous first birthday.
Happy March!
-RDG
a birthday
February 8, 2010 by 5 Comments
My lovely, dear, darling husband–the one who puts up with all of my rantings, self-absorbtion, daily furniture rearranging, and cooking projects that make the kitchen look alarmingly like Chernobyl–got another year older yesterday. So, instead of getting him another electronic gadget he didn’t need, I threw him a party featuring his favorite friends and favorite foods.
What are his favorite foods, you ask?
1. Bacon. Fried, on a burger, or wrapped around somethin’ else (in this case, seasoned potatoes), he goes gaga for bacon. I went all out and made half a million bacon-wrapped potato bites with a chipotle sour cream for dipping. Recipe to come later in the week so y’all can gain 5 pounds in a single sitting like I did.
2. Red meat. Rare. I went with prime rib for the occasion, marinated in a horseradish and dijon paste. Oh, don’t worry–this recipe will make it’s way to you this week as well.
3. Tres leches cake. Super creamy, super sweet, and super delicious. This recipe knocked everyone’s socks off. It’s a must-try, so I’ll share it with you soon.
I also served a taco dip, three kinds of stinky cheeses, and enough beer and wine to pickle an army. It was fabulous, and my dear Hubs had a wonderful time.
With all of that cooking, cleaning, and generally making myself and my house presentable for company, I hardly managed to sneak in a moment to decorate. At the last minute, I threw together the mantle, and it turned out not-too-shabby for a rush job, methinks:
I gathered up all of my favorite clear glass pieces (which I’m a little obsessed with right now, by the way), tossed some candy and corny birthday hats around, and voila: a 20-second birthday mantle.
The banners, which did not take me 20 seconds, I made earlier in the week during a bout with a cold and Project Runway marathon. (May I just say, for the record, how much I LOVE Anthony?)
The mantle is the center of our living room, so it was easy for guests to grab little caramel Kisses as they walked by.
These lovely ice cream bowls came from my grandmother’s china cabinet. They’re so 50′s and I adore ‘em. The mirror came from her bathroom, which I spruced up with a coat of white paint.
I’m thinking of leaving it up all month long, since it is Lucy’s birthday in three weeks. Is that better or worse than leaving your Christmas lights up in January?
Speaking of my soon-to-be ONE YEAR OLD (here comes the cliche: they grow up so fast, don’t they?), she was the life of the party and tuckered herself out enough that she slept in until 7 am.
Yeah, you heard me. 7 A-to-the-M. It’s almost light out at that hour.
She wasted no time getting back into birthday mode.
In-between Cheerios, that is.
Why won’t…
…this dang thing…
…open!
Happy birthday to my wonderful husband–I love you more than I could ever express in this silly blog. You’re the best.
For the rest of you, I love you all too. But in a very, very different way. Stay tuned for a whole pile of recipes this week.
Happy monday!
-RDG
